The use of fluoroacrylic resins in these types of applications is well known, but current compounds have a number of disadvantages: a slightly sticky feel, poor cleaning and abrasion resistance and slight alteration in the appearance of the substrate.
Compositions comprising perfluoro groups and urethane linkage have already been proposed; see, for example, the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,468,924, 3,503,915, 3,528,849, 3,896,035, 3,896,251 and 4,024,178 FR No. 2,062,244, DE No. 1,620,965, CA No. 1,071,225, EP No. 103,752 and CH No. 520,813 and 512,624. Unfortunately, these products are not always satisfactory, either because the synthesis of the intermediates is diffiult, or because they must be combined with acrylic copolymers because they are not film-forming, do not withstand dry cleaning and/or do not have good stainrepellent properties, or alternatively because they must be supplied as an aqueous emulsion because of their low solubility in solvents.
A new class of fluoroacrylic monomers has now been discovered, whose polymers have outstanding water-repellency and oil-repellency properties and are perfectly adapted to the treatment of leather because of the mechanical properties of their films (adhesion to the substrate, transparency and abrasion resistance).